The best baitcasting reel award goes to the Curado K. The Curado series built its legacy as a go-to reel for anglers of all levels for both fresh and saltwater environments. The Curado K supersedes the popular Curado I, a reel that many people thought was perfect already. So how did Shimano improve on this already perfect reel? The Curado K borrows a lot of its design cues from Shimano's higher end reels like the Mentanium and Aldebaran. One thing you’ll notice immediately is that it is smaller than its predecessor. Shimano claims they’ve made it 10% smaller which makes the Curado K a lot easier to palm. The reel just disappears in your hand. Even though it is smaller, it still balances perfectly on the rod seat. The reel is made from aluminum and a Ci4 side plate making it very light and durable.
Some of my favorite features are;

If you want a reel that minimizing the amount backlashes without paying a premium price the Daiwa Tatula SV TW might just be what the doctor ordered. The Daiwa Tatula borrows a lot of its design cues from the higher end zillion but at a much more affordable price. The Tatula SV has a small frame that is easy to palm just like the Tatula CT and Tatula CT Type R, but what differentiates it from those two is that it incorporates the SV spool. This is the 1st time that Daiwa has ever packaged SV spool into this price point. The SV spool is exceptionally lightweight but very durable and has no starting resistance.
This helps reduce backlashes and increases casting distance for both light and heavy lures. It also features;

When shopping for reels, one thing to keep in mind is that you get what you pay for. Set a budget and find a reel that fits your needs at the high end of that price range.

One of the most important things to consider when purchasing your baitcaster is gear ratio. Gear ratio simply means, the number of revolutions of the spool per turn of the reel handle. This determines how much line comes in per turn of the handle. For instance, in a 7.3:1 gear ratio, the last number (1) will always represent a 360-degree turn of the reel handle. The first two numbers (7.3) represent the number of revolutions of the spool per handle revolution. So for our example, for every 360-degree rotation of the handle, the spool will rotate 7.3 times. Sometimes other angler's might ignore the second number in the gear ratio and just call each reel a 5 speed for a 5.3:1, 6 speed for a 6.6:1 and so on.

Each brand will have different ratios covering the whole spectrum. The ratio you need will depend on the techniques and applications you’re using.

The most common gear ratios and their uses:

Slow ratio aka 5 speed - Handles torque really well. Ideal for deep diving crankbaits, spinnerbaits and reaction baits that you want to work slow. The slower gear ratio allows the bait to stay in the strike zone longer providing you more time to get a bite.

6 Speed - This the all purpose gear ratio and allows you to get the best of both worlds. It can handle taking up line really fast but also has enough power to handle the pull of deep diving crank baits. Can be used for jigs, seinkos even crainkbaits if you want to work them fast.

7 Speed -  Anything you need to pick up slack with, buzz baits, frogs, jigging (so fish won't get tangled in the weeds)

8 Speed - Anything high speed, top water walking bait, flipping, frogs

Reels come in different spool sizes you have 100’s, 150’s and this just means the amount of line the reel can hold. If you're using braided line this shouldn't be a major factor. Where it’s important is if you’re using bigger line and you need to be able to make longer casts and need to take up line a lot faster a bigger spool is better suited for that.

The tension knob controls your line at the beginning of your cast and the braking system at the end of your cast.

Materials used can make the reel lighter and more durable. Materials like magnesium and aluminum can be very durable. Magnesium tends to be very expensive though. So you would need to consider the cost vs. benefit.

One big misconception that is often perpetuated in the fishing community is that the higher the number of ball bearings the higher the quality of reel. While that holds true for the top of the line reels, it's not exactly the case across the board. For example, you might have two $100 reels one with 10 ball bearings and another with 5. The ball bearings placed in the 10 ball bearing reel may only cost 10cents each and the one with only 5 ball bearings may cost a $1 each. The reel with 5 ball bearings of higher quality is going to last you longer and would be a better investment. So when looking at bearings look for words like shielded, double shielded and sealed bearings.

The biggest problem you will face is figuring out how much performance do you really need for a baitcaster? The very best models are smooth, powerful and will last a very long time, offering outstanding performance even in the harshest environments. But these flagship models are also very expensive.

The list above focusses on all those good qualities from the flagship reels, but without breaking the bank. I hope my list has helped you find the best baitcasting reel for your needs. Which one is your favorite?